


Only New Hope

by moariel



Series: The Reunion on Ahch-To [1]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, Depression, Fix-It, Fix-It of Sorts, Han Solo Lives, Han saves Luke, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Implied/Referenced Suicide, M/M, Movie: Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Not Canon Compliant - Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Pre-Star Wars: The Last Jedi, References to Depression, Reunion, Rey is there, luke wants to die, skysolo, sorta - Freeform, sorta ends well idk
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-03
Updated: 2018-03-03
Packaged: 2019-03-26 07:10:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,019
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13852659
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moariel/pseuds/moariel
Summary: Han Solo and Rey fly to Ahch-To to find Luke, a.k.a the Skysolo reunion we all needed and deserved.





	Only New Hope

**Author's Note:**

> okay so it's 4am and you all know what time it is! yes, exactly, it's Unedited Fic I Just Wrote Publishing Time!  
> anyway this was directly inspired by the fact that it was revealed that one of the TLJ deleted scenes was of Luke mourning Han, and it quickly escalated into "WE DESERVED TO SEE A REUNION OF THEM ALIVE" so i wrote this instead of finally fixing my sleep schedule.  
> Again, it's 4am so please forgive any typos or mistakes.

They landed on a small island on Ahch-To. The Falcon’s engine croaking and whirring, old circuits noisier than ever before, yet still running as strong as ever.Though BB-8’s map only led Rey and Han to the planet, Rey instantly sensed where they need to go. There was an undeniable presence on one of the islands, that were peppered scarcely throughout a world that was almost entirely water.

It was a beautiful place, with mountain tops towering high above sea level, lush greenery covering the majority of the island. It was inhabited by small birds and sentient creatures that seemed almost like monks of some sort, with their robes and how they seemed to care for their surroundings (Han, Rey and Chewie received some unpleasant looks for the bushes they broke while landing). But they didn’t come all this way to just explore the island and say hello to the natives. As soon as they stepped out of the Falcon, Rey looked around, and just after a few seconds pointed to the tallest cliff of the island.

“There.” she declared. “Let’s go.”

She took Han Solo’s hand and started running.

Han Solo, even in his old age, didn’t hesitate to run full speed.

 

***

 

Luke Skywalker wanted death.

He had almost entirely closed himself off from the Force. There was nothing left for him. There was nothing that mattered anymore. All of his dreams, his spirit, and his desire to do good long gone, overshadowed by fear, guilt and shame. Years spent on this planet in hiding. He was tired.

He was so, so tired.

The nature here was beautiful, truly. Lots of rain, lush greenery and everything Luke dreamed of back when he was merely a teen boy on Tatooine. But Force knows you can live anywhere in the galaxy, pick out the most beautiful place, but if you do not have something to live for, what is the outside beauty even for?

Then there was the Force. The very thing that started all of this. The thing that kept reminding Luke of something that has been a part of his life, his existence and himself for decades. It glowed and shimmered among all living things, among atoms and molecules and their bonds, gleaming like the light that Luke had long lost. So he managed to distance himself from it over time. He hoped to close off the connection entirely before he left this world, not wanting any traces of his spirit left on this, or any other plane. But he just couldn’t take it anymore. Every day he felt the darkness in the galaxy rising, and every day he was reminded of his mistakes once more, more painful each time.

Luke sighed, looking at the horizon. He was standing on the tallest cliff of the island and wondered what would happen if he just… walked off.

The edge.

Luke toyed with the thought, as if it was a choice between going to the library or heading out to town. There was still a part of him that was afraid; survival instincts were still embedded deeply, especially after many years of war. But that was a very small part. Luke closed his eyes.

His muscles started moving, slightly leaning forward, to take a step.

And then he heard something.

In fact, he felt it before he heard it. A Force presence so powerful that it was apparent even through his weakened bond. And then - steps. Two people running.

That couldn’t possibly have been the caretakers. They don’t run.

Luke turned away from the vast horizon and took a step away from the edge, cautiously looking in the direction of the noise.

 

***

 

They ran as fast as you possibly could run up a steep mountain. There were stairs made out of stone, though they were old and practically destroyed through the centuries. It wasn’t long before Rey took the lead, sprinting with all her might towards the top, her hand on the hilt of the Skywalker lightsaber. Han, who wasn’t in the best physical shape to swiftly run up mountains, was doing his best, a hundred or so meters behind her. His heart was pounding, not just with the adrenaline of the physical activity, but with anxiety and worry.

He hasn’t seen Luke in years. Rey did say she senses him, but what if he’s--

No. He has to be there.

As soon as Rey reached the top, she immediately noticed the cloaked figure standing near the edge of the cliff. Oddly close to the edge of the cliff, a thought passed through her consciousness, but it wasn’t the time to wonder about those things, or anything for that matter. She knew who was under that cloak before she even had the chance to get a good look at the figure. She slowed down to a walking pace. Everything seemed to still around her.as she came closer.

She unhooked the lightsaber from her belt. As she took the last few steps, she held out the weapon towards the man with the cloak.

The man removed the hood and Rey saw Luke Skywalker for the first time.

Rey wasn’t quite sure what she expected but it wasn’t… this. The great, legendary Luke Skywalker stood before her in the form of an old hermit, looking like he had just survived three natural disasters. He was thin, pale, his long unkempt hair flowing in the wind and scraggly beard covering half of his face. And his eyes…

His eyes looked like they’ve never seen happiness before.

Rey stood there, breathless. The man looked into her eyes, his gaze dark, mistrusting. This would be intimidating, she thought to herself, if it wasn’t heartbreaking. The man that was standing before her was long devoid of the bright and idealistic person everyone told her about.

Moments passed. They just stood here, staring at each other, both a little bit at a loss. Then…

“LUKE!”

Something within Luke has ignited. It was like a switch. That voice…

“Han?” he croaked out.

Over the side of the mountain, Luke noticed a head of grey hair and a familiar silhouette. Even the walk was almost exactly the same as all those years ago.

Yet Luke still couldn’t comprehend it. After all the pain he had caused…

But at that moment, none of that seemed significant enough. Completely disregarding the girl holding the lightsaber, Luke could feel his legs carrying him at a strangely fast pace towards the familiar figure climbing the mountain. It was only moments before the two were standing in front of each other.

They studied each other for a while, faces signifying age and conflict, grey hair and that inexplicable depth in their eyes, one that comes with endurance of pain, joy, love and loss. Rey watched in the distance as the two old friends exchanged looks that meant so much more than could be expressed with words.

Luke found himself at a complete loss for words. He was alone for so long, closed off and distanced himself from everyone and everything on purpose. And suddenly there is his closest friend, his soulmate, standing right in front of him, within an arm’s reach. So he just stood there, speechless.

Han spoke first.

“Luke,” he gasped, still breathless from the trek he had to walk up this ridiculously tall mountain. “Come back. We need you.”

Oh no. No no no no no. This Luke had not thought about when he heard them running up the mountain. This is not something that he can deal with all over again.

“Luke, the resistance is at its most desperate. We need your help.” Han looked straight into Luke’s eyes, and was taken aback by the unexpected emptiness he found there. “Just-- please say something, fuck’s sake.” he added, lowering his gaze. It was very unusual for Han Solo to plead. This, though, was an unusual matter.

“I… can’t” Luke spoke slowly. He wasn’t anticipating the pain that struck his chest upon seeing Han’s expression falter.

“You have to.” Han spoke again, this time not looking at Luke. “You’re our only hope.”

This phrase was another heavy blow. It reminded Luke of everything he was not. Everything he failed to be.

“Han, don’t you see?” he spit out, his voice rough. “I’m an old hermit on an island who hasn’t held a weapon in years. I am one person against an entire military. I am just a person. The sooner you realize that, the easier life will become.”

Han couldn’t believe what he was hearing. This was not Luke.

He was aware that the man has gone through too much in his life, and all these years in exile haven’t helped either. But if there’s one thing he knew, it was that the core of a person never changes. It may be hidden under layers of trauma, pain or teachings, but who you truly are as a person never changes. After all, he would know, being the mischievous scoundrel that he had always been.

And Luke was the most bright and optimistic person Han has ever known. He had always brought hope and light wherever he went. And while his childlike wonder and optimism matured over the years, Luke Skywalker had never stopped being the kind-hearted, lawful and faithful friend that he had been since day one. And Han knew for a fact that this beautiful person was still inside the rough shell.

Luke looked at him with a gaze that reflected the lack of faith and purpose the man once possessed. There was something else though.

Pain.

“I am a failure. I ruined everything you had, Han.” Luke spoke bitterly. “I was responsible for driving the galaxy to its demise. I promise it’s not worth it, and I do not deserve your forgiveness, or your offer to come back. I betrayed all the people who believed in me, I hurt Leia, and I hurt--” Luke felt a lump in his throat. Han saw the tears welling up in his eyes.

That was the last drop that made something inside of Han crack. Following pure instinct, he took two swift strides forward, closing the distance between them, and wrapped his arms around Luke’s shoulders.

For a moment, Luke stood completely still. Then his world came crashing down all over again.

He wrapped his arms hungrily around Han’s waist, not realizing previously how touch-starved he was throughout all those years. Pressing his entire body against Han’s frame, he put his head on the older man’s shoulder, and the floodgates came undone. Silent tears turned into audible sobs that shook his entire body and soul. And Han just held his soulmate, held him tight, relieved to see his Luke once more and hold him as close as all those years ago.

Rey stood farther away, but her experience was no less overwhelming. The previously bright Force presence that was radiating from Luke like a beacon in the dark seemed to be expanding and spreading, touching everything that surrounds it, gleaming brighter than a supernova, seeping through every living thing and bursting with every possible emotion a human could feel, mostly tinted with pain and relief. Every little living being seemed to be vibrating with the energy that was radiating from the Jedi, even the air felt electric and Rey felt goosebumps all over her skin.

 

The Force connection that Luke spent years weakening came back stronger than it’s ever been, the presence of every living being, every atom suddenly making its way into Luke’s consciousness all at once; the steady stream of energy coursing through him, mixing and meshing with the overwhelming stream of emotions that erupted when Han wrapped his arms around him. Though it felt like nothing else in the world mattered, it was a different kind of feeling than he had just minutes ago while standing on that cliff. It was bright, it was refreshing and it was… hopeful.

Luke smiled into Han’s jacket. “Missed you” he mumbled weakly, sniffling. Han couldn’t help but smile, still holding his boy as tight as he possibly could.

“Missed you too, kid.”


End file.
